If you also want to keep out the smaller pests such as mice, you can attach screen material behind the lattice to keep them out. If you have mostly large wild animals around, such as cats, raccoons, rats and groundhogs, lattice will keep them out.

They are available in wood, treated wood or vinyl. Lattice panels – These panels are relatively easy to cut to size and install. The plywood eventually will deteriorate if it is in contact with damp soil. When installing, plan to leave a little distance between the plywood and the ground. Treated plywood – Treated plywood is plywood to which preservative chemicals have been applied by brushing, spraying or dipping the wood in the chemicals. For some help with keeping animals and insects out of your shed read my article 8 Ways to Keep Insects and Mice From Living in Your Shed. This will tell you how sturdy your skirting needs to be and whether or not you need to plan for some sort of barrier to prevent an animal from digging underneath the skirting. Asking the neighbors about any animal problems they have will also help. A good idea would be to think about any animals you see roaming around the neighborhood and identify any tracks you see around your yard. What Can I Put Around My Shed to Keep Animals Out?Īlmost any type of skirting will keep out unwanted animals to some extent. Skirting underneath that allows for airflow will both keep animals out while allowing airflow to help your flooring components last longer. Since the underside of your shed is wood, you need to protect it from both moisture and any animal life that may try to chew its way through the wood to get inside or at least to a hiding place. In order to get that required airflow you can read my article How High Should a Shed Be Off the Ground? How Do I Protect the Underside of My Shed? Airflow allows moisture to evaporate more quickly, keeping the underside of your shed dry more of the time. Having your shed installed with at least a six-inch clearance from the ground will go far towards making the shed last longer. The treatment delays deterioration from moisture, but the wood itself absorbs moisture just like any wood product.Įven the treatment won’t protect treated lumber from deterioration if it is subjected to a moist environment much of the time. Some people mistakenly believe that treated lumber is waterproof, but it isn’t. It keeps moisture from building up underneath and condensing on the wooden parts of your shed. It’s important to allow airflow underneath a shed. Some homeowner’s associations even require skirting for sheds that sit on blocks or piers. If you don’t like the look of cinder blocks or concrete piers, skirting hides the structure underneath and makes the shed more visibly appealing. Mice and rats are notorious for chewing through things that seem to make no sense. They can also chew through any exposed wiring on your tools. You don’t need a big fancy workshop or $1,000’s in tools. Have you ever wanted to build your own sheds, greenhouses, and other woodworking projects and save $100’s on your cost? Check out Ted’s Woodworking Plans here.

Additionally, they can make nests in insulation materials and even chew electric wiring if your shed has it. Some animals, such as rats, squirrels and mice, can chew through a surprising number of materials, and if they smell that bag of dog food or deer feed you’re storing inside, they’ll work on something until they get in. Shed skirting allows you to have the all-important airflow underneath the shed while keeping animals from making a home under your shed. You may have the shed raised up quite a bit to allow the shed to be level on a slope. You may have your shed built up from the ground a bit instead of having it flat on a slab. You can get a good idea of how the different types look and also how well they stand up to aging and weathering. Mobile homes often have skirting that uses the same materials that you can use for your shed. If you are undecided as to what type of skirting you want, take a sightseeing ride. A great advantage is that lattice allows plenty of airflow to keep moisture from harming the underside of the shed and the lattice itself. They can either be installed by themselves or with framing to add stability and help keep larger animals from breaking through. Lattice panels are the most popular choice for shed skirting, and often the least expensive. Have you been noticing small animals and insects have been hanging around the bottom of your shed? Many animals and insects will love to set up their home under your shed and they can cause a lot of damage.

Vinyl lattice panels for sheds